Water Users Association and Irrigation Management - Institute for ...

management strategies and type of crops grown. Each farmer was asked in which year
he/she tirst observed the problem of waterlogging and salinity. This was complemented by
enquiry into the nature of change and the present status. Farmers assess the nature of
change of the saline and waterlogged areas based on the performance of the crop.
Generally. changes in salinity levels are often judged by farmers on the basis of white
etllorescence due to precipitation of salts or of dark deposits on the soil surface resulting
trom the dispersion of organic matter, and the presence of surface crusts and hard layers as
evidenced by reduced germination rates. And fanners use many useful indicators by which
they measurc increasc or decrease of waterlogging in the fields. They are ability of crops to
withstand wind and rains. water levels in the open wells, depletion rate in the drinking and
livestock ponds. variation in the discharge of tube wells, etc.
Table 5.5: Direction of Change of Waterlogged Area (in acres)
Village Direction of change Total land affected
Decrease Constant Increase by
Waterlogging
Gundur 110(18.0)
-_
3.75 (61.4) 1.25 (20.4) 6.10
..
Hagedal 2.90(14.4) 11.90 (59.2) 5.30 (26.3) 20.10
Note: FIgures In parentheSIS IndIcate the percentages to the total.
On the hasis of farmers' perception, the level of change was assessed. It can be seen from
Table 5.5 that 61.4 percent of the land affected by waterlogging remained constant over a
period of time in Gundur. while in Hagedal, 59.2 percent of the waterlogged land roughly
remained constant over the decades. [n Hagedal, 26.3 percent ofland showed an increase in
waterlogging while in Gundur only 20.4 percent of land showed an increase in
waterlogging. Farmers in Gundur expressed that a decrease in the waterlogged area is due
to a shift in the cropping pattern from light irrigatcd crops to paddy. Farmers confirmed
that light irrigated crops result in a further development of waterlogging in the soil. It had
heen observed that many attempts of planned changes in cropping pattern had resulted in a
failure of thc crop due to medium waterlogged areas becoming more waterlogged.
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